A Wake up Call for Type 2 Diabetes

American Diabetes Association Alert Day on Tuesday, March 27 is a one-day “wake up” call that encourages everyone to take the Diabetes Risk Test to find out if they are at risk for developing type 2 diabetes.

Signs & Symptoms of Diabetes

However, only your doctor can tell for sure if you have Prediabetes or type 2 diabetes.

Pre-Diabetes vs. Diabetes – What’s the Difference?

Pre-diabetes is diagnosed when fasting blood sugar measures between 100-126 on 2 different occasions or the A1C is between 5.7% and 6.5%

Diabetes is diagnosed when fasting blood sugars measure over 126 on 2 different occasions or the A1C is over 6.5%

Early diagnosis is critical to successful treatment, delaying or preventing some complications of diabetes such as heart disease, blindness, kidney disease, stroke, amputation, and death.

A Serious Disease

Diabetes is a serious disease that strikes nearly 26 million children and adults in the United States. A quarter of them, roughly 7 million, do not even know they have it.

An additional 79 million, or 1 in 3 American adults, have pre-diabetes, which puts them at a high risk for developing type 2 diabetes. Unfortunately, diagnosis often comes 7 to 10 years after the onset of the disease, after disabling and even deadly complications have had time to develop.

While everyone should be aware of the risk factors for type 2 diabetes, people who are overweight, live a sedentary lifestyle, and over the age of 45 should consider themselves at risk for the disease. African Americans, Hispanics/Latinos, Native Americans, Asian Americans, Pacific Islanders, and people who have a family history of the disease are also at an increased risk.

What You Can Do to Prevent Diabetes

Studies have shown that type 2 diabetes can often be prevented or delayed by losing just 7 percent of body weight through regular physical activity and healthy eating. By understanding your risk, you can take the necessary steps to help prevent pre-diabetes or the onset of type 2 diabetes.

WakeMed can help.

Our Diabetes Management Program pairs you with a caring, experienced staff of diabetes nurse clinicians and dietitians who can help you learn to control your diabetes by eating healthy, exercising and taking your medications properly.